Summertime! Don’t you just love it? While I am not a huge fan of the intense heat and humidity in the Midwest, I adore and cherish the picnics, family reunions and entertaining friends. It seems there is a bit more time in the summer to slow down and enjoy those you love. Goodness knows with the news headlines, we all need to spend time with those we cherish and love as well as count our blessings.
One of my top reasons for starting this blog was to have a central location where my family could access some of their favorite recipes that we have enjoyed throughout the years. Food traditions run through our veins. One such recipe is German Chocolate Caramel Brownies or as we fondly refer to them, Yum Yums. I have been baking this recipe for over three decades. This one passed down from my mom who must have prepared these hundreds and hundreds of times at our family lake home. What’s not to like? Chocolate and caramel studded with toasted nuts equals a home run hit each and every time they are served.
This recipe is adapted from a book that our lake neighbors shared with our family years ago. It is a cookbook filled with treasures and I still turn to it when I need inspiration. The book, Gourmet Garden was published in 1981 by the Menorah Medical Center Auxiliary. You know that these types of cookbooks, where folks share their all time favorites, are some of the best.
When you need a sweet treat this summer, turn to this recipe and be prepared for the brownies to vanish just as quickly as you set the plate out. Enjoy!
German Chocolate Caramel Brownies
1 (11 oz.) package caramel bits
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk*
1 (15.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix
⅔ cup butter, melted
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
Place caramel bits and ⅓ cup evaporated milk in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for about 2 minutes, stirring after one minute. Allow to stand for a minute or two and stir to make a smooth caramel mixture; set aside.
Combine cake mix, melted butter and remaining ⅓ cup evaporated milk to form a dough. Using as little as possible, dollop less than half of the dough into prepared pans. Use finger tips to spread to form a very thin bottom crust. (You will want more of the dough on the top layer to cover the caramel.) Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with semisweet morsels. Drizzle caramel evenly over entire brownie. Dollop the remaining dough evenly over the top of caramel. Return to oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until mixture is set. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
*Tip: The 5 oz can of evaporated milk is the small can. Do not use the larger one.
German Chocolate Caramel Brownies
1 (11 oz.) package caramel bits
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk*
1 (15.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix
⅔ cup butter, melted
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick spray.
Place caramel bits and ⅓ cup evaporated milk in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high power for about 2 minutes, stirring after one minute. Allow to stand for a minute or two and stir to make a smooth caramel mixture; set aside.
Combine cake mix, melted butter and remaining ⅓ cup evaporated milk to form a dough. Using as little as possible, dollop less than half of the dough into prepared pans. Use finger tips to spread to form a very thin bottom crust. (You will want more of the dough on the top layer to cover the caramel.) Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with semisweet morsels. Drizzle caramel evenly over entire brownie. Dollop the remaining dough evenly over the top of caramel. Return to oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until mixture is set. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
*Tip: The 5 oz can of evaporated milk is the small can. Do not use the larger one.
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